Steam turbine



April 19, 1949. c. B. POWLEDGE STEAM TURBINE 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed June 26, 1947 -Q- mT m? V ON HWY IY ll v I v m- 2 v m L- Inventor Carl Barnes Paw/edge April 1949- c. B. POWLEDGE 2,467,990

5 TEAM TURB INE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 26, 1947 Inventor Carl Barnes Paw/edge WWW y Em Patented Apr. 19, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STEAM TURBINE Carl Barnes Powledge, Conroe, Tex.

Application June 26, 1947, Serial No. 757,120

My invention relates to improvements in steam turbines, the primary object in view being to provide a simple form of steam turbine operative by steam jets with greater efiiciency than the present day steam turbines.

Another object is to provide a turbine operative as above specified and through a liquid medium augmenting the power transmitted by the steamjets in a manner to render the turbine more efficient than the turbines as commonly constructed.

To the accomplishment of the above, and subordinate objects presently appearing, a preferred embodiment of my invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings set forth in detail in the succeeding description, and defined in the claim appended hereto.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal section of my improved steam turbine in the preferred embodiment thereof;

Figure 2 is a view in vertical transverse section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view in edge elevation. of the steam header;

Figure 4 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, according to my invention, as illustrated, a turbine wheel I is suitably fixed at one side thereof on one end of a power transmitting horizontal shaft 2 extended through a tubular shaft housing 3 and journaled adjacent its opposite ends in antifriction bearings 4 in the ends of said housing 3 retained therein by suitable packing glands 5 secured in place in any suitable manner, not shown. Legs, as at 6, support the shaft housing 3. The turbine wheel 5 is hollow with a preferably transversely rounded rim I and, on the side thereof opposite said shaft is formed with an axially tubular nozzle 8 forming an exhaust port 9 as will presently more clearly appear.

Vanes I0, preferably of cupped form, are pro vided in the turbine wheel I on the inner circumferential portion of the rim I and are spaced apart equi-distantly around said wheel in the plane thereof. The vanes it are designed to face oppositely relative to the direction of rotation of said wheel I, presently indicated.

A hollow, disc like, steam header II, preferably convex in cross section, and relatively smaller than the said wheel I is provided in said wheel I in the medium plane thereof and concentric thereto with its periphery spaced slightly from said vanes I0.

1 Claim. (Cl. 60-40) Jet forming nipples I2 are formed in the periphery of said header I I tangentially thereof to eject jets of steam tangentially in the direction of rotation of said wheel I.

An axial, horizontal steam inlet pipe I3 is secured to the side of the steam header II facing the exhaust port 9 as by a flange I4 suitably secured to said side of said header, the steam inlet pipe I3 registering with an axial steam inlet port I5 in said side of the steam header 1 I.

A horizontal, exhaust pipe I6, substantially larger in diameter than the steam inlet pipe I3,

surrounds said inlet pipe I3 concentrically with one end sleeve over-the nozzle 8 for rotation of said nozzle 8 therein.

A pair of laterally spaced, circular spiders I'I fixed in the exhaust pipe I6 and through which the steam inlet pipe I3 extends, and is suitably fixed therein, provides for supporting said inlet pipe I3 in the exhaust pipe I6, concentrically thereof, the steam inlet pipe I3 supporting the steam header II in the turbine wheel concentrically of the same.

Upright brackets I8 support the exhaust pipe IB by means of annular heads I9 thereon in which said exhaust pipe is suitably fixed, said heads l9 being spaced apart at any desired distance to support said pipe I6.

The steam inlet pipe I3 is designed to be connected, in any suitable manner, to a source of steam supply such as a compressor, not shown.

The exhaust pipe I6 is open at the end thereof opposite the end sleeved over the nozzle 8.

The turbine wheel I is designed to be partly filled with water I9, or other suitable liquid, before starting the same and for instance to the level indicated at 29 in Figure 1.

Referring now to the operation of the described invention:

Steam is admitted into the steam inlet pipe I3 to pass therethrough, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1, into the steam header II through the steam inlet port I5, such steam issuing in jet form out of the jet forming nipples I2 and impinging initially against the vanes I0 above the water level 20 to impart initial rotation to said turbine Wheel in the direction of the arrow in Figure 2. As said wheel I gains momenturn, the water I9, under the action of centrifugal force, forms a ring like body of water around the inner circumferential portion of the rim 1 of said wheel I to a depth, indicated by the full line in Figure 1, such that the steam jets issuing from same to revolve and pick up the vanes 10 to drive said wheel 1. As best shown in Figure 1, sufiicient water 19 is introduced into the turbine wheel i to provide for a ring like body being formed of suflicient depth to submerge the rim of the steam header H. By having the steam jets discharge into the body of water, loss of power through expansion of the steam is obviated to appreciable "extent, thus increasing the efiiciency of the turbine. Loss of powerzthrough condensation ofthe steam jets in the body of water is negligible. When the Water l9 becomes heated by the steam jets so as to generate steam, such steam, together with any spray formed, finds its Way out of the turbine wheel I by Way of the exhaust port 9 and issues out of the exhaust pipe 16.

The foregoing will, it is believed, sufiice to em? body clear understanding of my invention, without-further explanation. 1

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is suscepti le o mo ific ti n t o dep tin from the inventive vconcept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall Withinthe scope of the appendedclaim.

;Having;described theinvention, what is claimed 45x116! i ;I ;n;a turbine of the class described, a hollow turbinewheelzprovided with internal vanes of cup form spaced around the inner circumference thereof, said wheel being adapted to contain a liquidwtozform, under the action of centrifugal forcaa liquid ringarqund the inner circumferentialpor'tionpf the Wheel covering said vanes, an exhaust pipe atone side of said wheel rigidly mounted coaxially thereof, an axial tubular exhaust nozzle on said side of said wheel rotatably fitted in one end of said pipe and rotatably supporting said wheel on said side thereof, a relatively smaller diameter pipe extending through said exhaust pipe and nozzle and rigidly mounted in the exhaust pipe in spaced relation to the same and to said nozzle, and a hollow circular header in said wheel fast on one end of said relatively smaller pipe and having peripheral jets arranged tangentially therein and adapted to be submerged in said liquid ring, said relatively smaller pipe being adapted for introducing steam therethrough and through said exhaust pipe and nozzle into said header to issue out of the jets into said Wheel and liquid ring to drive the same, said exhaust pipe and nozzle providing for discharge of the steam out of said wheel.

CARL BARNES POWLEDGE.

REFERENCES CITED The'following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 137,759 Burnett Apr. 15, 1873 1,024,363 Richardson Apr. 23, 1912 2,021,289 Caylor Nov. 19, 1935 2,253,005 Wittich Aug. 19, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 185,743 Germany June '10, 1907 

